Two Dogs and a Cat | Starling, Duke and Kitt

Two Dogs and a Cat | Starling, Duke and Kitt

Aug 22, 2023

2 dogs and 1 cat in silhouette at sunrise in Toronto
We had picked the day and time and it was EARLY! Time was of the essence as Mum had let me know that Starling, her black labrador, was not feeling well and she really wanted to capture her first pup in the early morning light.

When we arrived at the location, my heart sank a little. The sky was ‘socked in’ and it was just a blanket of grey, featureless clouds.

There is no way we’re getting a visible sunrise, I thought.

Add to that, the location was over the water because I wanted an unobstructed view of the sky which meant it was windy. And cold.

But it was too late to postpone now – the two dogs and one cat (!) were already on the long drive from home to meet me.

And so I waited, hoping that the sky might clear.

By the time they arrived, the sky was still awful. We had only a few precious minutes to try and get the pets to settle and simply hope for the best when it came to the sky.

By the time we got our first dog in place, the ‘official’ sunrise time had passed. Nothing but grey, mournful sky.

However, above the horizon, I noticed a sliver of clear sky and I thought: What happens when the sun gets there?

Well, we found out.

For less than 2.5 minutes tops, the sky lit up with the most incredible orange-red hues!

We quickly got to work as we needed all three furry siblings in place to create our portraits. As quickly as the colour appeared, it disappeared when the sun went firmly behind the wall of clouds and we were once again enveloped in the grey, windy landscape.

But it was enough. Enough for this. Meet Duke, Starling and Kitt silhouetted against the incredible morning sky.

Professional photographer tip: A portrait like this involving multiple subjects takes some forethought and planning to execute well. This is an outcrop over the water and we simply cannot risk anyone slipping or falling. Thus, the humans are very close by and all of the pets are on leash at the time.  The editing and retouching process ensures that the final portraits are perfect.

Photographing Your (Pet) Family

Whenever you have a family involving dogs and cats, the question always arises as to whether we can get a portrait of everyone together. To which I say: we are going to do everything possible to set ourselves up for success.

Much of our approach will depend on the relationships with each other and the temperaments of the furry siblings. In this case, believe it or not, Kitt (the gorgeous cat you see) was the most ‘stable’. (Stable is the word I use to describe the subject most likely to get into and hold a position.) Kitt also loves his canine brother and sister which is a great plus.

The result is that this final portrait was taking in one frame – no compositing!

2 dogs and a cat photographed outside in the Greater Toronto Area. (GTA)
Of course, individual portraits are important too. Here’s Kitt with his gorgeous colouring which matches the early winter tones of the forest.
brown cat photographed in tone on tone forest
Duke is the youngest and the most wiggly. But a head tilt and he got his portrait to match his feline brother.
boxer dog with headtilt photographed in brush
But this session was really for Starling, Mum’s baby. Starling had just recently been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing some treatments. Not knowing how much time they had left together, it was vital we had gorgeous photos of her.
black lab photographed in early winter forest

Celebrating the relationship

Given Starling’s diagnosis, we spent extra time and effort of photographing Starling and her Mum together. First in the early sky.
woman and her dog at sunrise during professional photography session in Toronto
girl and her dog at sunrise.
And together again later in the session. These unscripted moments are among the most precious. You can feel the love.
black lab and mum enjoying a quiet moment Toronto
senior dog giving mum kisses during photo sesion
dog mum hugging senior dog during photo session
Of course, we had to get a family portrait of everyone together!

Porfessional photographer tip: No one has to be in photographs during a session with me. But I always encourage someone to come dressed as if they might. It just gives you options during our time together.

family portrait of a couple, 2 dogs and 1 cat
Lastly, we ended up on the beach where again, we took a solo portrait of Starling.
black lab dog portrait on beach in Toronto
As well as Starling with her brother, Duke.
2 dogs on the beach

(Note: After I wrote this post and scheduled its publication, I found out from Mum that Starling had said her final goodbye.)

Starling, you have left a huge hole in your family’s lives. Your sweet spirit will be remembered by all who you touched. Run free, my brave girl.

And to Duke and Kitt, thank you for working with me during our session to celebrate Starling. It was like you knew that this was important for you were the most cooperative trio I have ever met. Thank you for giving me the honour. ♥

Looking to create meaningful portraits of your dog or cat during a Heritage Session? This is a special session to ‘celebrate the life, love and legacy of your pet.’™

POSH PETS® HERITAGE SESSIONS

Celebrating the life, love and legacy of your pet. ™

  • High-priority sessions are reserved for pets that become ill or are simply elderly. We make every effort to schedule these on short notice and work within their restrictions.
  • An opportunity to take time out of your busy schedule to spend some quality time together, celebrate the life you have shared and create images you will treasure forever.
  • Please note: The Creative Fee covers time and talent to photograph a maximum of four (4) subjects, which can be any combination of people and up to two (2) pets who live within the same household. Additional subjects may be photographed for a small additional fee.
  • More information can be found here.
Book Now
Tres | End of Life Heritage Session

Tres | End of Life Heritage Session

Jul 8, 2023

Sometimes the first frame takes your breath away.

Tres family contacted me to photograph him in his backyard. A senior pup with mobility issues, he was no longer able to go far from his family home.

So I arrived and began to look for a location in the backyard. We waited patiently while Tres made a very long, slow trek (for him) out of the house and into the backyard.

When he finally got there with Dad’s help, I asked my assistant to hold the light while I did a light test. And I shot the one frame you see below.

So technically, this wasn’t a photograph I planned. But it was the most beautiful tribute to the relationship and Tres’ wonderful life.

man kissing his senior dog at the end of life heritage session with Posh Pets Photography

Things to know about End of Life (Heritage Sessions)

While I will always encourage people to have their pet photographed while he/she is still young and full of life, there is nothing quite like celebrating a wonderful life with a loving family. The resulting portraits often become most treasured and a source of comfort once the final goodbye has been said.

However, ensure that your photographer approaches a session like this with the right mindset. As with every pup or kitty, we need to work with them in a way that puts their comfort and happiness at the forefront. With a senior or unwell pet, the limitations may be many as movement and mobility can be issues. Choosing the right time of day when your pet feels most well and alert is crucial, as is the schedule surrounding any medications. Know that these also tend to be shorter sessions as older pets tire more quickly.

And that is why the pre-session consult is important – we want to prioritize any portraits you would like to get within whatever timeframe we have. 

But…with good planning, flexibility and a pure love for your pet, we will get a beautiful portrait, full of meaning.

senior dog portrait in Toronto during end of life session

Want to see what Tres’ mum had to say about their session? –> REVIEWS

Have a senior dog or cat that you would like to have photographed? Need a pet photographer that specializes in end of life sessions? Contact me to discuss your options.

POSH PETS® HERITAGE SESSIONS

Celebrating the life, love and legacy of your pet. ™

  • High-priority sessions are reserved for pets that become ill or are simply elderly. We make every effort to schedule these on short notice and work within their restrictions.
  • An opportunity to take time out of your busy schedule to spend some quality time together, celebrate the life you have shared and create images you will treasure forever.
  • Please note: The Creative Fee covers time and talent to photograph a maximum of four (4) subjects, which can be any combination of people and up to two (2) pets who live within the same household. Additional subjects may be photographed for a small additional fee.
  • More information can be found here.
Book Now
MacLeod | Toronto Dog Photographer

MacLeod | Toronto Dog Photographer

Sep 5, 2014

shih tzu smiling

“Blessed is the person who has earned the love of an old dog.” – Sydney Jeanne Seward

I loved this dog.

It has taken me a while to write this post. A week to be exact. Seven days. Almost 168 hours since we’ve said good-bye. And I still can’t believe that MacLeod is gone. Because he didn’t live with us – he belonged to my family – it is still easy for me to imagine him snoring loudly in his sleep at my sister’s or parent’s place. At 15 years of age, he did do a lot of sleeping. And snoring.

But, it wasn’t always that way. MacLeod and his sister, Anthea, came to our family when they were both wiggly, little shih tzu puppies, both from the same litter. Like any puppy out there, they were both unbelievably cute. And although I loved Anthea and her love of exploration, it was MacLeod that was my favourite.

MacLeod, aka Mackie, Big Mac, Maxster, Mister Magoo, was a character. He was your everyman’s dog. He had no airs about him, took you at your word and had a ‘what-you-see-is-what-you-get’ way about him. He loved people, playing, balls and getting dirty. All the while being gorgeous.

Somehow, over the years, I had become  “Auntie Karen” to MacLeod. When he would hear those two words, he would get beside himself with excitement, whining and crying in anticipation. So much so, my family would not tell him I was coming to visit until I was less than 10 minutes away. When I would finally arrive, he would be there, ready to greet me at the door. And then, he would look up at me, turn his mouth up at the corners and give me an honest-to-goodness ‘grin’. After the initial fuss, he would turn his attention to my belongings and go through my bags in hopes of finding a treat, a new ball or something else wonderful that he was sure I had brought for him. And, when I finally settled in a chair to rest, there he would be – climbing on my lap and resting on my leg.

Time, of course, marches on. To see him get older, and less playful was hard. But when he got sick, I was heartbroken. My friend wasn’t the same. Getting up to greet me was difficult – laying back down was harder. There was no more joy in the thought of playing with a ball. And no more grin.

And so last week, my sister made the decision that the time had come to let MacLeod go. And we gathered, as we have for all our family’s pets, to say our good-byes. I had promised him I would be there when the time came, and I made good on that promise by holding his paw gently as he found peace.

While it is still hard to believe he is gone, I am so happy he came into our lives and that he allowed us to share him for a little while. Thank you Mackie. Please know we will miss you always.

I loved this dog. I still do.

shih tzu in bowtie

 

Ripley | Toronto Pet Photographer

Ripley | Toronto Pet Photographer

May 26, 2012

I really cannot believe that the day has arrived when I have to write this. And if I press “publish”, it will somehow be more final. It hurts too much, so I will try to say it quickly and simply.

Today, at 8:59 a.m., we sent Ripley, our 17.5 year old tabby on his final journey. With as much love as he could bear.

I, personally, have never had the weight of such a decision on my shoulders and I am not sure that either my husband, Dean, or I handled it well. In other words, we were (and are) a mess.

We had no idea that Ripley was even sick until we took him to his vet this past Wednesday morning. What we had erroneously thought to be a little bit of constipation or issues with his anal glands, turned out to be far more serious. In fact, that was not an issue at all. After x-rays and an ultrasound, we were shown that most of his organs were in some state of failure. And his poor, little heart was really only in a constant state of fibrillation, and therefore not pumping vital blood and oxygen to the other parts of his body. Add to that, he had a very serious arrhythmia which put his whole system under additional stress. Hearing this, we decided not to contemplate any heroic measures, but to simply treasure whatever remaining time we had with him. So, at our request, his vet was able to stabilize him enough that we could take him home with us Thursday evening, along with some medication to make him comfortable.

Ripley seemed to be happy to be home Thursday night, but by Friday we knew something was horribly wrong. He could not sleep. He never did eat since returning from the hospital and he shifted his position often as if he was uncomfortable. We watched him and stroked him and cried over him until we knew that we had to make the final gesture to help him.

This morning, Ripley woke me up by pawing gently at my leg. I tried one last time to feed him, which he refused. So, Dean and I began the process of getting ready to take him on his final car ride. I truly believe that Ripley knew the time had come. He seemed to go through a routine to look at all of his favourite places. But when he stopped to nuzzle and kiss his sister, Lady Jane, it made our hearts stop. They had a quiet “moment” when I think he said his good-bye.

At the vet this morning, we held him and told him what an incredible boy he had been. He was from the Toronto Humane Society so, yes, Ripley was a rescue. He was a year old when we got him and were privileged to have loved him for over 16 years. And, even though his physical heart failed him in the end, he loved us until his final breath.

I do not quite know how I will get over the loss of feeling him sleeping on my feet every night of his life, or the way he would truly cuddle you when picked up. I have many, many photographs that will remind me of what he looked like, but I fear that I will forget the sound of his “voice” when he would talk. And his beautiful eyes…everyone remarked on his his lovely eyes. At this point, I am simply hoping that the huge hole left in my heart will slowly heal.

Ripley, I cannot write enough words to tell you how much you are missed. Not a day will go by when we will not think of you and remember how incredibly wonderful you were. I hope, in the end, you simply understood and felt how much you were loved. 

Go gently into that good night, my boy…

A special thank-you to the vets and staff of Westbridge Veterinary Hospital in Mississauga, Ontario. And especially to Dr. Cathy Buller who has been Ripley’s primary vet since the day we brought him home. Having you there at the end, made it just a bit easier.

Orange tabby on bed in Toronto, Canada